


For Name's Sake

by melodramatic



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Assasin and Mercenary AU, Blurryface, Fluff and a tiny bit of smut, Historical AU, M/M, Poetry, Set in the 1800's, The Judge - Freeform, Torture, Walt Whitman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-05 14:39:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10310495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodramatic/pseuds/melodramatic
Summary: Blurryface signed a contract with you,Blurryface told you to buckle up your shoe,If you don't do what Blurryface says,You'll have these many days until you're dead!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep this in mind before you read: I did some studying into the 1800's, and tried to make the story as historically accurate as possible.  
> That being said, please forgive any historical errors.  
> Other than that, enjoy.

Josh Dun was twenty one years old when he was first approached by a courier that had no intrest in hiring him for a job - rather, he had a note to deliver.

It was a bit odd, because the only time Josh was ever directly contacted was when a client wanted someone dead. He always kept his identification discreet, meeting every client under the name of The Judge, wrapping his face with a scarf so all that was visible were the slits of his eyes. No one knew his real name, no one knew the rest of his face, and no one knew where he actually lived.

So when a courier knocked on his door with a letter for Josh Dun, he tried to keep his expression neutral.

"What can you tell me about the person who delivered this letter?" Josh asked the man.

He shook his head, "Not much, sir. I only deliver the messages: I know nothing of who sent it. Only that it was a strong man in dark robes."

Josh nodded, and let the courier go on his way. He waited until the man was down the road quite some ways before going back into his home and opening the letter.

_J. Dun,_

_If this letter has been delivered into the right hands, then I will find myself fortunate. I, and a few of my associates, have seen your work, and we are rather impressed. If it is sport you seek, then feel free to disregard this message entirely. However, if it is work that your skill asks for, then please ask for Sir Dedric at the Redriver Meadery in Franklin, Ohio. I assure you, you will be compensated nicely for your travels should you decide to come._

_I appreciate your time._

_\- Dedric_

Josh furrowed his eyebrows together.

_I, and a few of my associates, have seen your work..._

Something about that sentence sent chills up his spine. People had seen his work, sure, but no one knew his full name.

No one.

The city of Franklin was about thirty miles west of where he lived, but he had to see this man that knew his full name. He knew if he didn't, this letter would sit in the back of his head until the day he died, and even then it would torture him in hell.

So after he completed the last job he had scheduled, he packed his bags, climbed atop his horse and headed west. 

::::

 By the time Josh arrived at Redriver Meadery, a good day and a half had passed by. He hardly had any sleep, and half of his brain was telling him this was all just a trap - he needed to turn back.

But his pride was too strong.

The meadery was small, as the town was small as well, and there were two men sitting at a table and drinking mead. There was a woman behind the counter, a cloth in her hands as she wiped down the counter.

Josh cleared his throat to get her attention.

She put her hand over her heart, "Oh! You scared me, boy! I hardly saw you there!"

"Sorry, ma'am."

She shook her head, "Ah, that's alright. It's refreshing to see a new face around. What can I get for you?"

"I believe I am looking for someone by the name of Sir Dedric?" Josh said, more in the form of a question.

"Oh!" Her eyebrows shot up, "Of course. He's been expecting you, ya know. The second he sent that letter, he hasn't left town. Wants to see you up close, he says."

"Do you know why that is, ma'am?" Josh asked, as he reached his hand up to itch his shoulder.

She shook her head, "Dedric works in whispers, son. I may be his sister, but that don't mean I know anything about his side business." 

He simply hummed in recognition, as she lead him into a seperate room, and then took him down a flight of stairs, knocking on the door.

"Dedric? Are you in there?" She asked.

The door opened and a man dressed more casually than Josh was expecting opened it. He looked to the woman, and then to Josh, his eyes lighting up.

"Well, hello! I'm Dedric," He stuck out his hand, and Josh hesitantly shook his hand. Something was off. The atmosphere was relaxed, but too relaxed. As if there was something lurking just below the surface. 

"Good evening, Dedric. I believe you sent for me in a letter?" Josh asked once again, still unsure of the whole situation.

"Yes, come on in!" He said, guiding Josh by the back of his shoulders. He turned to the woman.

"Thank you for bringing him down, Addie. Would you mind fetching us two bottles of mead?"

She nodded, "I don't mind one bit. I'll be back down in a second." When she shut the door, Dedric guided Josh fully into the cold basement.

"Would you like to sit, Joshua?" He asked.

"I would prefer not to, actually."

The man's jaw tightened for just a second, and the warm family-friendly atmosphere was replaced with one of strife.

"I know who you are," Dedric stated plainly, cutting through any small talk. Josh simply stared back. He should've been phased, but he wasn't. Not this time.

"Why have you sent for me?" Josh asked, his face almost completely devoid of emotion.

"Listen, Joshua-"

"It's Josh."

Dedric stopped his sentence, "I'm sorry?"

"If you're going to call me by my name, it's Josh. Not Joshua."

A small smile that would've made Josh squirm appeared on the man's face. Nevertheless, he nodded.

"Fair enough, _Josh_. I have a proposition for you," He said, pulling a chair out from a desk that faced the wall. There were a few books, and an open ledger on the desk, along with a few pens. They looked expensive.

"Please, take a seat," He asked again, only this time, Josh relented. He sat in the opposite chair, facing Dedric head-on.

There was another knock at the door.

Addie came in, carrying two tankards, both filled with a dark liquid from their brewery. 

"I hope you boys won't be down here for too long. The local musician just came in, and he's gonna play some songs for us. I've heard he's a real good player," She said, setting the cups down in front of each of them. They both smiled politely at her, Dedric saying something about how he loved the music around here.

Addie laughed, Dedric laughed, and Josh took a sip from his cup.

When she closed the door and left, the man turned back to Josh.

"That's my sister, by the way. She does all of the face-to-face transactions of our business. While I'm stuck down here doing all of the technical work," He said, tapping the ledger in front of him, "She's a sweet girl, but not very bright. Which is why our parents handed the place over to me specifically."

Josh nodded along with the story, questions still very much present in his mind, "You were saying? About a proposition?"

"Ah, right. Forgive me for where I digress. I know that you operate under the title of The Judge, and that you're very discreet. One of the best mercenaries out there, in fact, and your work attests to it. To put it briefly, I'd like to hire you for a job."

Josh raised an eyebrow, "That's it?"

"Well," Dedric said, putting his hands together and resting them in his lap, "It's not just any job. The person I need to you take out is of very high influence across the nation. It will not be an easy task."

Josh crossed his arms, "What will it pay?"

Dedric looked to the door, then back at Josh. He lowered his voice, "I'll give you 500 dollars if you follow it through to it's completion."

Josh's eyebrows shot up. $500 would be more money than he'd ever seen in his life. He never made more than $100, even for his best work. He tried his best to seem indifferent, but they both knew it wasn't working.

He leaned forward in his chair, "Who could possibly be worth $500?"

Dedric sucked in a breath and leaned back, "That's where it gets a bit more complicated." He took a key out of his pocket and opened a drawer that was hidden underneath his desk, he pulled out a folder held together with string, and pulled out a few pieces of parchment.

"So, I don't have his name, bu-"

"Wait, what? You don't even have the man's name?"

"We have his alias. Much like you, he doesn't operate with his real name: no one of his caliber would. He goes by Blurryface. Only the lord knows what that means," He said, mumbling the last sentence and sifting through the papers he had in front of him. He pulled out a regular peice of paper and then unfolded it, revealing a small map with circles and dots drawn all over it. 

Josh stared blankly at the wall for a second, the name _Blurryface_ mulling around in his head. Then, as if someone whispered it in his ear, it clicked. Blurryface operated within a very small circle of people. He had dirt on everyone and everything, and he only ever used it to his own advantage. His name had been murmured on the streets so often, it had become a popular jump rope game for children. 

"Have you heard of him?" Dedric asked, turning to Josh.

"Of course. Who hasn't?" 

"Good, you're familiar, then. The thing is, he knows everything. He knows everyone, and more importantly, has everyone's secrets. Including mine and my sister's."

He turned back to the map, pointing at a small spot in the center, "We've been tracking his movements for awhile, and although he seems to move around a lot, it looks as though he has been in this one spot for quite some time now. We need you to find him, but more importantly, find where he keeps his information."

"What kind of hold does he have over you?" Josh asked.

"Everyone has their secrets, son. The only difference is that mine can get my business shut down, and he keeps threatening to do just that if I don't pay up a ridiculous sum of money." Dedric lowered his voice, and his face became all the more serious, "I need him _dead_ , Josh."

Josh nodded along, his eyebrows furrowed. He still had a few questions, but this information was not his to know. He was being hired to do a job that would pay him a rather large sum of money: who he was killing, or "getting rid of" was unimportant.

"How do you expect me to figure out who he is?" Josh asked.

Dedric blinked at him, and then sighed, "That's for you to decide. If you can find some way to gain access into his circle of trust, then fine. Just don't get caught, whatever you do."

Josh nodded, "I never get caught. You have a deal." He stuck his hand out, and they shook hands.

"You can stay here for the night, if you like. If you need weapons, food, supplies - anything, just let me know," Dedric offered.

"Thank you sir, I appreciate it. I think I'd like to just turn in for the night."

And so he did. Dedric let him stay in their spare room upstairs, even though Josh had insisted on renting a room at an inn. Either way, it didn't matter, because Josh tossed and turned for hours before he could get to sleep. His thoughts were spiraling upwards, downwards, and then from left to right. Blurryface was powerful, but according to quickly-spread rumors, he also spared no mercy.

Nevertheless, Josh had a hard time denying the tiny rush of excitement that ran through his veins at the thought of doing a job so important.

The money was nice too, of course.

And Josh wasn't at all startled when he closed his eyes and deadly wounds flashed before his eyes. 

::::

Josh was in the room of the meadery, preparing himself for the 50-mile trip he had ahead of him, as there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Josh shouted.

The door opened slowly, and Dedric poked his head from around the side, "Are you getting ready to leave?" He asked.

Josh nodded.

Dedric stepped fully into the room, taking a small bag of change out of his pocket.

"Here," He said, handing it over to Josh, "Consider it a thank you for accepting the job. I don't know who else I could have gone to."

Josh looked into the bag. There were too many coins to count right then and there, but just enough so that it looked like a substantial enough amount. He placed it in his own pocket and looked back up at the man.

"You're welcome," He said.

Dedric stepped closer to him, placing each of his hands on Josh's shoulders, "Just remember," He warned in a stern tone, "This man is manipulative. He's known for his bribery and deceit. Do not let him fool you."

Josh chuckled, "You have no reason to fear, friend. This is hardly my first job."

"I know. But it bares far more weight than your other jobs, I'm sure."

"That is true."

Dedric helped him strap his things to his horse, and then Addie came out at the last second to wave goodbye to him. Josh took a deep breath. He had no reason to be nervous. Sure, it was a big job, but then again, every job was big in some way. Surely Blurryface wasn't as tough as everyone made him out to be. He had to be at least a little human, like the rest of them.

He _had_ to be human. Like the rest of them. Josh swallowed and looked up at the sun. The weather was dry, but not overbearing.

He had no reason to be afraid, he told himself.

::::

By the time he arrived at the small town he was sent to, he became more and more skeptical of the mission. Here he was, chasing after the shadow of a man that they couldn't even fully identify. Yet somehow, Josh was supposed to not only find out who the man was, but also take his life right out from under his nose. 

He walked up to a man tending horses in a stall next to an inn. 

"Good afternoon, sir," Josh greeted.

The man turned to him. He was young, probably around the same age as Josh, and he had a small, flat hat over his head. 

"Afternoon. You here to rent a stall?" The man asked.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"'Course not. 'Ts why I'm here, after all," He wiped his hands on a nearby cloth and took out a small box from a corner somewhere.

Josh squinted his eyes at the cloth. It was blue and embroidered with one golden letter: _T_. He had never seen an embroidered towel before, and he was sure it would stick out like a sore thumb should he see it anywhere else.

"It'll be two dollars, sir."

Josh snapped from his thoughts, and handed the man the cash. 

"You here looking for trouble?" The man asked, gesturing towards the dagger Josh had strapped to his hip. 

He instinctively placed a hand right over his holster, "No, sir. Just being cautious."

The man nodded, extending his hand out to Josh, "I'm Tyler by the way."

He shook his hand, "Josh."

"Nice to meet you, Josh. I'll be right here for any horse-related needs."

Josh chuckled, "Alright, thank you. Have a nice evening."

"Likewise."

Josh walked into the inn, his mind vaguely wondering if the stable boy knew anything about Blurryface. 

 He rented a room and settled his things, and when nightfall came, Josh was ready to get plenty of sleep for his next day. He looked out of the small window as he was getting undressed.

The stable was right below his room, and he could see the horses sitting there and sleeping. They looked peaceful.

Josh wondered if his horse knew what kind of work he was involved in, he would refuse to be ridden again. He wondered what kind of moral compass his horse would be guided by.

He shook his head, feeling ridiculous for thinking such odd thoughts.

The night was all around the city as Josh climbed into bed and thought of payments and horses.


	2. Chapter 2

Josh had been occupying a room at Hummingbird Inn for three days, and he had come microscopically closer to figuring out Blurryface's identity. All he had to go on were the people in the town, and none of them knew much. He casually chatted with the lady who ran the inn, and she told him if anyone came here looking for Blurryface, they were sure to find nothing but trouble. Josh simply nodded in silence, and politely declined when she offered him another drink. 

He had, however, discovered the name of a man who was loosley associated with members of Blurryface's circle of trust, unbeknownst to his wife and kids. 

Josh waited near of the clothing store for what seemed like hours, before he finally saw the man exit the building. He followed him from a safe distance, and waited until he got into his house. He knew that if he were going to intereogate the man, he'd have to have him alone, though. His meathods of torture would be deemed insignicant against several people at once. 

He was about to go find a place to hide out safely, when he saw two children exit the house. They each held one end of a rope, and they unravelled it just as a third child came running from inside the house.

"Wait for me!" She shouted, "You can't play with only two people, now, can you?"

"We could if we wanted to," The little boy said.

She put her hands on her hips, "Could not!"

The only other child that had not spoken up yet shouted at the both of them, "Oh, hush! Let's just play."

She was taller than the rest, and seemed to be the oldest.

The smaller girl got into the middle of the rope, and the two other kids began to swing it in a circle around her.

The little girl in the middle started jumping, and the two at the end began to sing:

_"Blurryface made a contract with you! Blurryface told you to buckle up your shoe! If you don't do what Blurryface says, you'll have these many days until you're dead!"_

" _One day, two days, three days, four days_ ," And their counting continued as the girl jumped. Her foot got caught in the rope and she stumbled right as they reached ten, and the little boy laughed.

"Ha! You only have ten days until you're dead! My record is thirteen!" He exclaimed.

"That's not fair! You tripped me on purpose! I wanna try again!"

They continued bickering and Josh turned around, trying not to get too lost in the cynical components underneath the children's song.

Josh found a spot that allowed him to watch the house, while remaining unseen by anyone. He was wearing his typical business attire - light armor, a half-mask, and at least two weapons sheathed. 

It had to have been at least three hours before he saw the man again. The children had gone inside, their borderline worrisome songs had ceased, and the sun had set. It was dark, and it was harder for Josh to see, but it was also easier for him to attack. The man came outside of his house, and checked his livestock in the back. He took a bag of feed that had been sitting against the wall and started sprinkling it around the chicken's pen. Josh snuck up behind him cautiously, his heart beating out of his chest.

This was one of his favorite parts. Here this man was, just doing his nightly duties, before heading back inside and going to bed, maybe having a late-night snack.

Little did he know the man standing a mere few feet behind him.

Josh waited until the man knelt down to hand-feed one of the chickens before he stood up and kicked him hard so that he fell face-first into the dirt. Josh knew he had a very short window of time before the man became aware enough of the situation to start fighting back, so he immediately held his face into the dirt. 

The man struggled, his hands and feet flailing, and he even made a few unuccessful attempts at a cry for help. Any and all sound was muffled by the dirt, and Josh couldn't help but be a tiny bit proud of himself as the man stopped struggling, and his body became still.

He turned the man over, and checked his heartbeat. He was still alive. Good.

Josh knew the man was too large for him to carry, so he dragged him by his feet through the gate of the backyard, thankful for the night sky as a shield to his actions.

He placed the man on the floor of the carriage he had attached to his horse, and ordered his horse to go as fast as it could to an abandoned shack that Josh had spotted a few days prior. 

He gave his horse a few treats, before dimounting and dragging the man's body from the carriage into the small shack. He used rope and tied it around the man's torso and pinning his arms, and then tying a similar knot around his feet. He was still knocked out cold, and Josh sat in the corner, munching on an apple as he waited for the man to wake up.

It wasn't as long as Josh had anticipated before the man slowly blinked himself awake, and Josh stared with a bored expression as the man worked himself into a panic.

"What-" he looked around frantically, his eyes locking on Josh, "What am I doing here? Please, you have to let me go. I have a family! I have children!" 

Josh stood up and grabbed the riding crop he had brought into the shack with him.

He calmly walked up to the man, and drew his arm back, whipping the crop around the man's face. He screamed out in pain as a large gash formed on his cheek, and it began to drip blood.

"Tell me about Blurryface," Josh demanded.

"I- I don't know what you-"

Josh whipped him again in the same place, only this time it hurt even more due to the laceration he had just recieved moments ago.

"Do you know now?" Josh asked.

Tears were streaming down the man's face, mixing with the blood now also streaming down from the open gash on his cheek. 

"Sir, I - please, I'll tell you anything," His voice was small and pained. He broke so easily and Josh was almost dissapointed that he didn't put up more of a fight.

"Tell me about Blurryface."

"I d-don't know much-"

Josh raised the whip again and the man's arms flinched underneath the binds.

"O-okay, I'll tell you! I'll tell you! Just please stop hitting me with that thing," His voice was quavering with every word, but Josh simply stood tall, waiting for information.

The man took a deep breath, and kept his gaze fixed on the ground when he spoke. 

"I've never met him face-to-face. Only a few people have. I hardly ever deal with him, but when I do, he sends letters, or he'll send one of his more trusted people."

Josh reeled his arm back again, and struck the whip against the man's thigh, and he cried out yet again.

"Tell me where he is."

"I - I don't know! No one knows where he lives! B-but I can tell you the name of some of his closer associates. I'll tell you there names, and you can go do this to them. Just, please, let me go home," The man was full-on sobbing now, and Josh rolled his eyes.

The man told him the names of a few of Blurryface's associates, and then Josh knocked him out and loaded him back up into the carriage. He dropped him by a river, and undid the ropes, putting them back in his bag. He took out a knife and bent down to the man, and carved to small little marks into his forearm: T.J.

Josh smirked to himself and then removed the gear that The Judge wore, changing back into regar clothes before he headed back into town. 

He dropped the carriage back off from where he had borrowed it, and made his way back to the horse stall where a familiar figure was sitting in a chair, a book in his hands. When Josh got a bit closer he could see that it was a newly published book entitled _Leaves of Grass_. He wondered how the stable boy could've gotten his hands on such an expensive item.

"You really are out here all of time," Josh said, and the man looked up, surprised by the sudden company.

He shrugged, "It's a good spot. The view is excellent."

Josh looked back from where he came and realized that the man was right, that from this spot you could see several houses and businesses. It would be perfect for someone who had incentive to watch over the houses.

When Josh looked back at Tyler he could see that, even in the dark, the man was handsome. His hair was curled in some places, and his face structure was strong. Demanding in a way that Josh feared his wasn't.

"You ever go home, then?" Josh asked. 

Tyler looked at him for a moment before flicking his eyes toward's Josh's horse.

"When I can," He said, taking Josh's horse by the reigns and leading it towards the stall.

Josh looked at the inn, and then back at Tyler.

"Does it get lonely out here?" He asked.

Tyler put Josh's horse in it's assigned stall, and took a brush and started stroking down it's neck. The night air was quiet, the only sound being crickets, the occasional whinny of a horse and the occasional scurry of a rabbit.

"Sometimes. Helps me think, though," He responded, not looking at Josh.

Josh watched Tyler's arms move carefully, almost caressing the horse. His touch looked so delicate, but so sure. A small cloth was peeking out of his pocket, and Josh assumed it was the same embroidered cloth he had seen Tyler with last time.

The boy looked at Josh, and Josh took a few slow steps forward so that they were a comfortable distance away, but close enough to make out the details of each other's faces in the dark.

Tyler was watching Josh with careful eyes. If there was any one person that defied the saying "The eyes are the window to the soul," then Tyler would be him. 

"A little company wouldn't go unwanted, though," He said.

"What are you suggesting?" Josh asked.

"Whatever you want me to suggest," Tyler replied, and Josh's chest burned beneath his tunic. 

Josh looked around, and there was no one else in the area besides them. Everyone's lights were off, and doors were locked. Josh knew it was dangerous to he out here so late, in such close proximity to another man, yet here he was, matching Tyler's steady gaze.

"I'm in the second room to the left. Upstairs. You know where to find me if it gets too lonely out here," Josh stated, turning around to go inside. Tyler didn't say anything as he watched him walk away, and Josh didn't look back. 

Josh got into his room and laid down, and he was only slightly deterred when he found himself spending the rest of the night alone.

::::

On the next night, Josh handed his horse over to Tyler.

"Are you looking for company tonight?" Tyler asked, as he closed the same book he had been reading for days on end. Josh briefly wondered why he had never read any of Walt Whitman's works.

"I'm always looking for company."

Tyler followed Josh to his room, and they locked the door, laying down in the bed together. Josh quieted Tyler's moans by pressing their mouths together and it would've been sweet, had it been a kiss.

The stable boy was gone before the sun rose.

::::

The night after that one was the same.

"How long are you staying in town for?" Tyler had asked, his chest still heaving.

Josh looked at him, and in the glow of the moon, he looked quite perfect. His hair was matted against his forehead in sweat, and his slender body was stretched out, his lips were colored a dark shade of red, and there was a small smirk resting on his face.

Josh shrugged, "However long my business takes."

"What do you do for business?"

Josh looked into Tyler's eyes, and the smirk was gone. Even though Josh knew it was virtually impossible, there was a look in Tyler's eyes that told Josh he already knew why he was here.

But there was no way he could've known. He was just a stable boy, after all.

"Too many things, my acushla," Josh replied in a hushed tone. And if he didn't know any better, he would've thought Tyler's expression softened for just a second. Instead of responding, though, he climbed atop Josh and held his face in his hands, kissing him deeply.

Josh held him close from behind, but that didn't stop him from waking up to an empty bed.

::::

Josh came home on one night, and he was far too exhausted to wonder why Tyler wasn't at his usual position by the horse stalls. His feet and legs were sore from another series of hours spent traveling in and out of town, interrogating people who somehow operated within Blurryface's circle of trust. He was getting close. He could almost picture the man by now.

He had interrogated three men, and he was hardly sorry when one of them died in the process. 

He had come too far to be sorry.

Only a few more steps and he would be able to identify the man. Blurryface was smart, though. Out of the three men he had interrogated, only one of them had ever met Blurryface. 

_("He does all of his dealings in a small building just on the east outskirts of the city! Please, don't let him know that I've told you - I'd be dead before morning!")_

Josh rubbed his face in his hands. He was tired. It had been over a week and he still didn't know the man's name. At least now he had some sort of a lead.

He was just about to put his lantern out and go to bed when he heard a horse whinny from outside. His gaze snapped towards the noise.

It sounded a lot like his horse.

He grabbed his lantern, and his knife from the room and then ran outside, and to the horse stalls.

There were three horses still standing, unaware of anything going on around them. One of the stalls appeared to be empty, though.

Josh slowly walked closer to the stall and didn't even need to check to know that that was his horse dead on the ground, a large amount of blood pooling on it's side from where it had been peirced. Josh's heart ached, and his stomach churned.

He immediately reprimanded himself for feeling sympathy for a horse. He had killed dozens of men and women alike in his lifetime, why should he hold any feelings towards an animal? He knew better than to attach himself to anything that had a heartbeat.

Josh walked closer to the horse, bending down on his knees only to discover that it was still breathing. Josh sighed.

The poor thing was probably in tremendous pain.

Josh tightened his grip on his knife, and plunged it into the horses' chest, and it didn't even flinch before it stilled entirely.

Josh got up from his knees and looked around. There was no one in sight. He rubbed his hand on his face, and groaned in frustration.

Not only did he have to buy a new horse, but clearly there was someone in the town who knew why he was here. There was someone with eyes and ears everywhere, who had to know that Josh was The Judge, and The Judge was here to find and kill Blurryface.

He was about to walk away when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

There was a note pinned to the wall of the stall by a dagger. Josh tossed the dagger to the ground and opened up the note.

 _I have naught the patience for games. Be gone by tomorrow, if you hold your life sacred._  

There was no introduction, and no conclusion, and no context. Still, Josh had never understood a message so clearly.

Josh's throat was dry, but he knew the message was bittersweet. It only confirmed that he was getting close to discovering Blurryface's identity, yet the man was clearly trying to convey a threatening message.

Josh crumbled the note in his hand and took it back to his room with him. He set the lantern down and put the note inside, watching it burn.

And he tried to ignore the churning that still sat in his stomach as he fell asleep that night.

::::

Josh went to the stable the first thing that morning.

"Do you have any horses for sale?" Josh asked Tyler, upon approaching him. He was sitting in his usual spot, the same book as last time in his hands. 

Tyler looked up and shook his head, "No, I don't, sorry. I just take care of horses. I don't sell them."

Josh huffed out a sigh, and looked around.

"What happened to your horse?" Tyler asked, "I didn't see it here this morning."

Josh thought for a second, wondering if he should lie. He knew him and Tyler were starting to get close, but he has vital information under his belt that would ruin him if it got out.

So he shrugged, "A man that does not seem to be very fond of me killed the poor thing to send a message."

Tyler's expression did not falter.

"Sounds like a pretty serious message."

Josh's expression did not falter.

"It was."

For the long minute their eyes were connected, Josh saw something in Tyler's eyes he had not seen before. In anyone's eyes. There was a mixture of anger and sympathy, and Josh didn't even know if he could recreate the look if he tried.

Rather than lingering on that, however, he stepped closer to him. 

"Is it true what they say about this town?" He asked.

"What do they say?"

"That Blurryface himself occupies a home here?"

Tyler looked down at his book and closed it, setting it gently in his lap. He looked back at Josh who was watching him carefully.

He shrugged, "I wouldn't know. I just run the stables here." 

Josh nodded, and glanced around the lot. There were a few people at work on their lands, and a few people on their way to or from their jobs.

"Well, I'm off to go take care of business, but I'll be back after nightfall," He lowered his voice, "If you'd like to keep me company tonight."

Tyler shifted in his seat, "I'll be here."

Josh nodded and took off, heading into the heart of the city. And when his foot got caught in a small divot in the road and his walk faltered, he blamed it on himself and not on the road.


	3. Chapter 3

Josh's progress was becoming substantial, but so was the small knot in his gut. He knew the more progress he made, the closer he was to unlocking Blurryface, which also meant he was closer to leaving the town. 

The town had almost become a second home to him at this point.

Tyler was on top of Josh one night, kissing him lazily. Josh had his hands in the boy's hair, and neither of them knew if they were actually going to have sex that night, but they had become so accustom to each other's company that it didn't really matter.

"I've grown quite fond of you, you know," Josh whispered to Tyler, breaking off the kiss.

Tyler looked into his eyes, "Why's that?"

"Well," Josh pushed some fringe out of Tyler's eyes, "I really enjoy your company. You never cease to put an extra skip in my step in the mornings."

Tyler chuckled and buried his face in Josh's neck, and Josh could feel the boy's smile on his skin. 

There was silence as Josh gulped and watched the shadow from his lantern dance on the ceiling, and he wondered if that was what his heart looked like when he was with Tyler.

"What if I told you," Josh started, tracing small circles onto Tyler's back with his fingers, "That I was falling in love with you?"

Tyler's smile was gone when he brought his face back up to meet Josh's. 

"Then I'd tell you you were a very foolish man," Tyler said, with no jest in his tone.

Josh lowered his voice even more, "Well what if I told you I was already in love with you?"

Tyler frowned and looked down at Josh's chest, "Then I'd tell you you were a very unfortunate man."

Josh watched Tyler carefully for a second, and then flipped them over so that he was on top of Tyler.

"I think you're wrong," He said.

"I'm not."

Josh brought his lips down to meet Tyler's, and the boy seemed hesitant at first, but then let his hands wander through Josh's hair as he brought him closer for a deeper kiss.

Tyler put his hands on Josh's chest, and lightly pushed him off, "I'm not a good person, Josh. You don't want to fall in love with me."

"Again you are wrong, my darling," Josh replied without hesitating, "Because I already have fallen in love with you."

Tyler sighed deeply, and his eyes looked sad. As if there was something he desperately wanted to communicate to Josh, but for some reason, he just couldn't.

"Do you suppose you will find in me your ideal?" Tyler asked. It took Josh a second to register that those words were not originally from Tyler's brain.

"A classic Walt Whitman statement, I presume," Josh wondered.

"You presume correctly, Josh."

Josh kissed him deeply again, and this time there was no hesitation from Tyler. 

"I do find you my ideal," Josh said against Tyler's lips. The flame on his lantern was burning out, but that had nothing to do with the flame between them - the one that Tyler didn't want to admit.

The stable boy didn't respond, only kissed Josh harder and let him undress the both of them, as they made quiet and muffled sounds into each other's mouths, and Josh rocked him back and forth hard and passionately, trying to convey all of his feelings into a simple movement. 

And when the sun rose in the morning, Josh's eyes fluttered open as Tyler pecked him softly on the lips and snuck out of the room.

::::

Josh woke up to a sharp pain in his right hand. It had been two days since he had seen Tyler, as he was not at the stable in the morning, nor was he there in the evening for two straight days. Josh had begun to worry, but he did not have time to look for the boy, as he had a whole different sort of investigation going on - one that Tyler was not privy to.

However, on one morning, when Josh woke up to a sharp pain in his right hand, he screamed. His scream was quickly muffled, though, by a cloth. He opened his eyes only to find a figure looming over him, and when he looked towards his hand, he saw that the figure had peirced him with a dagger. The same kind of dagger Josh had seen on one of his first nights in this town.

The same kind of dagger that held a threatening note directed at Josh. 

Josh's eyes were wide as he looked up at the figure and it was so dark outside, and dark in the room that all he could see was that the person had a mask on and most likely a full bodied suit.

"This is your last warning," The figure stated, it's voice low. 

Josh brought his knees up to his chest and tried kicking the person off, but by the time he kicked out his feet, the figure had hopped off and left the room completely, the dagger still keeping Josh's hand attached to the mattress.

He gritted his teeth and removed the knife from his hand, biting his tongue to keep himself from screaming.

Quickly, before the blood got everywhere, Josh looked around the room for some sort of adhesive. He rooted around until he found a sort of cloth in one of the dressers, and he did his best to tie it with only one hand. 

His hand was in excruciating pain - an entire sensation that throbbed from his fingertips to his wrist, and the cloth was quickly becoming soaked with blood. 

Despite all of this, he couldn't help but wondering how exactly the man knew where he was occupying a room.

But then again, he supposed Blurryface knew everything about everyone. 

But _how_? 

He was discreet, he was subtle, he was incognito, he was virtually undetected. 

With his mind still baffled, he tightened the cloth around his hand, trying to keep the bleeding to a minimal amount. Now that Blurryface knew where he was staying for the time being, he needed to speed up his work. He needed to get out of this town as soon as possible, and get back home, back to the reward that was waiting for him. 

He got up from where he had sat back down on the bed and out to his horse. 

Josh was headed west.

He was headed west to the small building on the outskirts of town that he was told Blurryface had been known to occupy. It was only a few miles out, so it took him a mere few minutes. 

The closer he got to the building, the more he ignored the small sinking in his gut telling him that something was wrong. There was something off about the atmosphere.

He whipped his head around, and thankfully he was not being followed. 

As he got close to the building, he immediately noticed how it appeared abandoned. There were vines growing along the side, and the door opened easily, as the lock had decayed.

There was no way someone occupied this building. 

But when he entered it - ah yes, he could see now. It was furnished to a small extent. There was one table in the corner, a chair, and a series of ropes, ties, and chains scattered across the floor.

Josh felt uneasy. There was something wrong. 

He went towards the small table, and opened one of the drawers. A small book was inside.

 _Leaves of Grass_ , by Walt Whitman.

Josh furrowed his eyebrows. He had only seen this book in one other's possesion before. There was a small, familiar-looking cloth peeking out from the top of one of the pages, so he opened the book to it's marked page.

 _Are you the new person drawn toward me?_  
_To begin with, take warning, I am surely far different from what you suppose;_  
_Do you suppose you will find in me your ideal?_  
_Do you think it so easy to have me become your lover?_  
_Do you think the friendship of me would be unalloy’d satisfaction?_  
_Do you think I am trusty and faithful?_  
_Do you see no further than this façade, this smooth and tolerant manner of me?_  
_Do you suppose yourself advancing on real ground toward a real heroic man?_  
_Have you no thought, O dreamer, that it may be all maya, illusion?_

Josh gulped. One sentence more than any others stood out in his head. He read the words over and over again, but they didn't get any sweeter. Each syllable was worst than the last and Josh's head hurt. His hand was still throbbing, but most of all his head hurt. 

He heard a footstep behind him and he whipped himself around in just enough time to see someone slowly enter the building. 

It was the same figure that was responsible for the wound in his hand. 

His heart beat out of his chest, but he wasn't scared. 

He was dissapointed.

He should've known better, really.

Because the sun was coming up just enough to shine light through the cracks in the foundation of the building, and the figure across from him was no longer hidden in the dark.

Josh could clearly see it was a man. A small man, but a man nontheless.

And if Josh wasn't in so much pain, he was sure he would've started to cry.

Nothing was said between the two men. It had to have been at least a minute before the figure brought up his shaky hand to take his mask off. 

His eyes were sad and pointed downwards, his whole body was sunken like a wet cloth. 

"I tried to warn you," Were the first words out of his mouth. 

_(I have naught the patience for games. Be gone by tomorrow if you hold you life sacred.)_

The note was still clearly burned into Josh's memory.

He did not say anything. He was stunned. But, quite frankly, he knew he shouldn't have been. As he thought of every conversation he had ever had with the boy, it all started to connect in his head. Like stars aligning, Josh was angry at himself for being surprised.

Josh's jaw tightened as the man looked up, and their eyes locked. 

Josh looked back down at the book and the first sentence his eyes caught lit a different type of fire in his heart.

_Do you think I am trusty and faithful?_

As if Walt Whitman himself was reprimanding Josh, he shut the book with force, causing the man before him to jump slightly.

"It was you. This entire time, it was you," Josh stated, talking to himself more than anyone.

Tyler unsheathed a sword he had sitting on his hip, his face still (almost) unbearably sad.

"I'm so sorry, Josh."

He stepped closer.

"This is not how I wanted it to be."

Josh was infuriated. 

"You knew who I was from the beginning, didn't you?" He asked.

Tyler nodded, "I did. I have eye and ears everywhere, I knew they were going so send someone to kill me. I didn't know it was going to be The Judge. I didn't know it was going to be you. But I had figured it out upon your arrival."

"And yet you continued to take my love? To play me like the fool I have proven myself to be?" Josh asked, his voice raising in anger. Tyler looked sorry, but Josh was not a man of empathy.

He paused, and let his sword hang at his side for a moment, looking down at the floor. A small mouse scuttled past them, and Josh (for the first time) wished he could be something so small and insignificant.

"I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. You're right." Tyler took the last few steps remaining between himself and Josh so that there was little room between them. He looked Josh in the eyes and proceeded to hand him the sword he was carrying. 

Josh took it without really understanding what Tyler was insinuating. His furrowed eyebrows became more of confusion rather than anger.

"I have committed my last crime against my last innocent man," Tyler stated, backing up, and kneeling down so that he was on one knee. 

"Please, Josh. Do what you were hired to do. What you have come to this small town to do. I know I have a large bounty over my head, and if anyone deserves it, it is you." He dropped his head and closed his eyes, so that he was facing the floor. 

Josh didn't move, but neither did Tyler. His hand still pulsed beneath the cheap cloth he had put over it, but that was not of his concern at the moment.

Tyler's eyes were squeezed shut as if he was expecting the blade to disconnect his head from his body at any moment. Josh's feet slowly took him to Tyler's side, to his back, to his other side, and then back around again. And if someone had asked him if he ever thought of just steeling himself up and slicing the man's neck right then and there, he would tell them no, because he did not want to admit the truth.

Tyler still did not look up.

"Do you suppose you will find in me your ideal?" Josh asked.

Tyler looked up, his ears perking at the sound of the familiar quote coming from such sweet lips. 

"Do you see no further than this façade, this smooth and tolerant manner of me?" He quoted right back.

Josh knelt down so that he was eye level with Tyler. He brought his hand up and carressed the side of the boy's face, and tears welled up in Tyler's eyes. There was so much emotion in his face, Josh almost wanted to look away.

"Have you no thought, O dreamer?"

Tyler took in a sharp breath as Josh brought their lips together for a light and short kiss.

"I'm not a good man, Josh. I've hurt people. I've hurt you," He whispered even though, at the moment, they were the only two people in the world.

"I've seen all of your sides, Tyler. Your love, your friendship, and now the darkest side that you have. And you still have yet to lose my favor."

Tyler shook his head, "I don't deserve this." He grasped Josh's hand and tightened it around the sword he was still holding.

"Life has nothing left in store for me. Take me away. Let me be immortalized in the way children sing my name as if it isn't real."

"Tyler," Josh said sternly, "I do not want to kill you, nor do I want you to die. I love you."

A tear fell down Tyler's cheek, and his breath hitched. He squeezed his eyes tight again, and Josh kissed the trail his tear had made, causing tears to fall from both of his eyes.

Josh dropped the sword and wrapped Tyler in a tight hug, letting the stable boy soak his shirt.

"Please, forgive me, Josh. Forgive me. I didn't want to hurt you."

Josh's eyes flicked to where his hand was bandaged, and then took a deep breath. He took Tyler by the shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

"Let's start over. The two of us," Josh suggested.

"How do you mean?"

"You and I can have a life together. In another city, in another town, in another world if we wanted to," Josh said, trying to keep his tone light.

"Two men start a life together? We'd be foolish to try such a thing," Tyler responded, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"We aren't foolish enough already?" Josh asked. Tyler cracked a smile and chuckled, burying his face in Josh's neck, and Josh held the boy close. 

He knew it would be tough - they'd have to lay low for several years, and they'd need to have the appearance of living in separate quarters, but it'd be worth it. 

And when Tyler looked back up at him with wet eyelashes, and a natural smile, Josh knew that this was all he really needed. 

He had forgotten about the money, forgotten about the threats, and the outside world entirely, because if he was in love with the man kneeling before him - well, there was no sum of money in the world that would make him want to give that up.

And when they headed far, far away from that small town for the last time, they left as Tyler and Josh, because Blurryface and The Judge had died in that small vine-covered building, along with the chains and ropes that rested inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, as always, I appreciate it. Please feel free to leave any questions, comments, or criticisms as I take every sentence to heart. I tried my best to make this historically accurate but I may have slipped up here and there.  
> I also kinda wanted it to be longer, but oh well.  
> Stay alive, friends.


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